The traditional weaknesses of the Dominican health system, in terms of human resources, availability of blood, beds, medical transport and patient referrals, have become more critical due to the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic .
This was affirmed yesterday by Dr. Justo Nicasio, president of the Council of Specialized Medical Societies of the Dominican Medical College (CMD), after noting that although he has not received concrete reports from doctors about a shortage of oxygen or supplies to care for patients with Covid-19, It is undeniable that the pandemic has magnified the serious health deficiencies in the country.
Nicasio was consulted about complaints made by some sectors and relatives of patients with a shortage of oxygen and other supplies.
The day before, the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera assured that there is no shortage of oxygen in the public and private health centers of the country and that this input is guaranteeing for patients.
He said that health centers have central oxygen and that there is a complete guarantee of having it and that oxygen is even manufactured in the country. The same, he said, occurs with PCR tests for patients who attend public centers established for these purposes.
“In reality, I have not received precise information on shortages of oxygen or supplies at this time for patients with Covid, but it is not unknown to anyone the serious deficiencies that our health system presents and that the pandemic has worsened it, magnifying them,” said Nicasio .
He said that there have always been problems of ambulances for the transport of patients, of human resources that are insufficient to meet the demand of patients and of the latest generation equipment.
Pulmonologists: The country has oxygen
In this regard, Dr. Evangelina Soler, president of the Dominican Society of Pulmonology and Thorax Surgery, pointed out that currently the country does not register problems of oxygen shortage for patients with Covid.
He reported that he has been in contact with health personnel and that he inquired among suppliers of the input and that at the moment the country has oxygen for patients who deserve it because of the Covid-19 disease.
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